Pachypodium succulentum stem-tip

Vigorous stem-tip growth confirms that a slow-growing, long-lived Pachypodium may also change to a higher gear in favourable conditions.

The long leaves are dull dark green covered in velvety short hairs. The sunken, translucent midrib is flanked by two narrow bulges of leaf surface before the rolled under margins. Gentle longitudinal leaf curvature and rounded leaf tips are in evidence. The spines are long, thin and paired, angling out from each other.

The photo was taken near Oudtshoorn in the Little Karoo. There are two members of the genus in this region, about identical when not in flower, namely Pachypodium succulentum and P. bispinosum. The identification problem was solved by the owner of the Minwater farm who has seen this plant in bloom (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; iSpot).